So I bought some artisan chocolates...

[lenarenee]

and won't ever do it again without a free sample.

For 2.50 a piece (single piece), beautiful exterior and nice packaging, licensed to manufacture and sell. However they were so bad even a kid wouldn't eat them. Duncan Hines brownie mix texture and taste: chemical, pasty, gritty. Any Google search for truffle has a basic melted chocolate and cream truffle recipe - I've done them and they were far, far, superior to what she sells. However - even that tasty recipe isn't worth 2.50 a piece, and I wouldn't think of selling it either.

Is there lame Pinterest or other "sell your handmade chocolates!" thing going around now that handmade soap is everywhere??

 

[toxikon]

Oh no! Was this at a craft show type deal? That's unfortunate.

 

[lenarenee]

No, this is a local business that's been around for a couple of years. Saw a social media post where someone posted a recommendation. Now I know why her beautiful pictures but very, very few reviews were so odd. Seems everyone else knew something I did not....and stayed away. Btw, it's not just my opinion on the taste...got a couple more from other people. Glad I bought some for myself to try before gifting....and they're gifts that DIDN'T get given!

 

[amd]

That's unfortunate. I'm very lucky to have a local chocolatier just a few blocks from me, who also makes wine. I would take the pieces you have left back to the business and very nicely point out the lack of quality. Depending on how they handle that, I would leave a review online as well. I wouldn't leave a bad review without talking to the business first. I'd be upset if someone handled my business that way, so I don't do it to others.

 

[lenarenee]

Well some of the mystery is solved. Yes, hand-made chocolates are becoming a "thing". Seems there's quite a following of Ghiradelli chocolate melts and people are making chocolates from that, and they contain a great deal of palm oil compared to the chocolate content so that explains the lack of chocolate flavor. The pasty gritty texture is from trying to mix sugar into the melts without burning the whole thing, adding your flavored extracts and scooping into a mold. There's no real chocolatiering skills involved. (no wondered she looked at me funny when I asked her about tempering the chocolate and if she went so far as to custom mix her percentages of cocoa butter into liqueur. Now I've got this longing for some really fine chocolates...but have no idea where to find some - except amd's neighbor!

 

[bathgeek]

The chocoholic in me is screaming in pain at the thought of people selling that junk as artisanal chocolate.

 

[DeeAnna]

When DH goes to Des Moines (Iowa) for a conference, he thoughtfully gets me a present of chocolates from Stam. I strictly ration myself to one a day -- I don't dare allow myself two or I'd gobble the whole box. Heaven.

I have had the chance to compare Stam truffles with Godiva truffles recently. Godiva truffles are pretty good for a large-scale chocolate maker, but Stam's are in a league beyond.

What's really cool is Stam is based largely in my home state of Iowa with a few stores in surrounding states. https://stamchocolate.com/

 

[cmzaha]

You are making me want to make some truffles but I am not going to give in. If I say so myself I make a variety of really good truffles from a nice slab of very yummy chocolate. Definitely peskier to make since I don't do them often and once in a while seize my chocolate to un-usable but they are worth it. We think soap has a steep learning curve, I think chocolate tempering is the worst!

 

[bathgeek]

My all-time fave chocolatier within the USA so far is Fran’s, and I think they are Seattle-based. https://frans.com/

 

[earlene]

When DH goes to Des Moines (Iowa) for a conference, he thoughtfully gets me a present of chocolates from Stam. I strictly ration myself to one a day -- I don't dare allow myself two or I'd gobble the whole box. Heaven.

I have had the chance to compare Stam truffles with Godiva truffles recently. Godiva truffles are pretty good for a large-scale chocolate maker, but Stam's are in a league beyond.

What's really cool is Stam is based largely in my home state of Iowa with a few stores in surrounding states. https://stamchocolate.com/

Cool, I see there is a store in Hannibal, MO. I often drive through Hannibal. I will put it on my agenda to try this brand of chocolate on my next trip through, which should be later this week. Thank you for that link, DeeAnna.

 

[lenarenee]

I looked at both websites and ended up drooling! Both companies seem to be exactly what I'm looking for...er...and that's probably a bad thing. Expensive and exquisitely delicious!

 

[DeeAnna]

Oh, yes, it is definitely a bad thing. So bad, it's good.